AERIAL LAUNCH AND/OR RECOVERY FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:
- a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft having;
an airframe;
a plurality of rotors carried by the airframe, the plurality of rotors being positioned to support the carrier aircraft in hover; and
a battery carried by the airframe and operatively coupled to the rotors to power the rotors;
a launch fixture carried by the carrier aircraft and positioned to releasably attach to a second, carried aircraft, the carried aircraft having a capture device; and
a capture line carried by the carrier aircraft and deployable to hang from the carrier aircraft, the capture line being sized to releasably engage with the capture device of the carried aircraft.
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Abstract
Aerial launch and/or recovery for unmanned aircraft, and associated systems and methods. A representative method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system includes directing a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft to carry a second, carried aircraft aloft, and release the second aircraft for flight, while powering the first aircraft with an on-board battery. The method can further include directing the first aircraft to position a capture line in a flight path of the second aircraft to capture the second aircraft.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:
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a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft having; an airframe; a plurality of rotors carried by the airframe, the plurality of rotors being positioned to support the carrier aircraft in hover; and a battery carried by the airframe and operatively coupled to the rotors to power the rotors; a launch fixture carried by the carrier aircraft and positioned to releasably attach to a second, carried aircraft, the carried aircraft having a capture device; and a capture line carried by the carrier aircraft and deployable to hang from the carrier aircraft, the capture line being sized to releasably engage with the capture device of the carried aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, the method comprising:
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directing a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft to carry a second, carried aircraft aloft, and release the second aircraft for flight, while powering the first aircraft with an on-board battery; and directing the first aircraft to position a capture line in a flight path of the second aircraft to capture the second aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:
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a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft having; an airframe; a plurality of rotors carried by the airframe, the plurality of rotors being positioned to support the carrier aircraft in hover; and a power receiver carried by the airframe and operatively coupled to the rotors to power the rotors, the power receiver being positioned to receive power from off-board the carrier aircraft while the carrier aircraft is in flight; a launch fixture carried by the carrier aircraft and positioned to releasably attach to a second, carried aircraft, the carried aircraft having a capture device; and a capture line carried by the carrier aircraft and deployable to hang from the carrier aircraft, the capture line being sized to releasably engage with the capture device of the carried aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, the method comprising:
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directing a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft to carry a second, carried aircraft aloft, and release the second aircraft for flight while powering the first aircraft with an off-board power source; and directing the first aircraft to position a capture line in a flight path of the second aircraft to capture the second aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:
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a first multi-rotor support aircraft having; a first airframe; a first plurality of rotors carried by the first airframe, the first plurality of rotors being positioned to support the first multi-rotor support aircraft in hover; a second multi-rotor support aircraft having; a second airframe; a second plurality of rotors carried by the second airframe, the second plurality of rotors being positioned to support the second multi-rotor support aircraft in hover; a capture device carried by at least one of the first and second multi-rotor support aircraft and deployable to releasably engage with a target aircraft; and wherein the first and second support aircraft are operably coupled to each other via at least one of the capture device or a power transmission link. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, the method comprising:
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coupling a first multi-rotor support aircraft and a second multi-rotor support aircraft via at least one of a capture device or a power transmission link; directing the first and second support aircraft aloft; and directing at least one of the first and second support aircraft to position the capture device to releasably engage with a target aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:
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a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft having; an airframe; a plurality of rotors carried by the airframe, the plurality of rotors being positioned to support the carrier aircraft in hover; and a battery carried by the airframe and operatively coupled to the rotors to power the rotors; a capture line carried by the carrier aircraft and deployable to hang from the carrier aircraft, the capture line being sized to releasably engage with a capture device of a second aircraft; and an immersible anchor attached to the capture line. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51)
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52. A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, the method comprising:
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directing a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft aloft; and directing the first aircraft to position a capture line in a flight path of a second aircraft to capture the second aircraft, while motion of the capture line is at least restricted by an immersible anchor. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification